Aug. 1, 2024

Next Issue: Sept. 4, 2024
» View archived issues

Minot State University and MSU Athletics partnered with the Jason Two Crow family and Parshall Schools to host the Jason Two Crow Memorial Football Camp in Parshall on July 17-18. 

Minot State football coaches and other area coaches gave position-specific instruction to high school students and ran the younger grades through fun games and drills. The free camp attracted over 115 youth football players from grades 3-12 from communities across the state, including a player from Honduras. 

“We are honored to have Minot State and the Minot State football program be a part of this event,” said MSU head football coach Ian Shields. “It was a privilege to connect with Jason’s legacy and to get to know his family. This relationship will continue to grow, and we are excited to be a part of this for years to come. It’s a special event. Our staff enjoyed working with the community and getting an opportunity to talk about Minot State football and spread some goodwill towards the program.” 

Jason Two Crow was born and raised in Parshall and played football for MSU from 1988-1992. In 2016, he was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1992 football team, which reached the NAIA final four. Two Crow was an assistant football coach at Parshall High School and was a mentor and an inspiring, positive role model to his players. 

The Jason Two Crow Memorial Scholarship was established at MSU with a lead gift from Hugh Long ’91. The scholarship benefits Native American students, with preference given to student-athletes. This year’s recipient, Zath Nastal, a redshirt sophomore linebacker from Mesa, Arizona, was one of the multiple MSU student-athletes and coaches working at the camp. 

Minot State University, in collaboration with the Central Regional Education Association (CREA) and Anderson, Conn, and Tenam-Zemach Consulting, LLC (also known as Drop the Knowledge), is proud to announce the development and statewide approval of the CP2R Classroom Observation Tool.

This innovative tool, designed by Minot State’s Nathan Anderson and Dan Conn, along with Michelle Tenam-Zemach and Erica Alstad, has been approved by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction for use in public PK-12 schools across North Dakota.

The CP2R Classroom Observation Tool offers a comprehensive approach to evaluating teachers, rooted in person-environment (P-E) fit literature. The tool focuses on the alignment between individuals and their environment, building upon the CPR Success and Failure Analysis framework.

The framework comprises four domains: capacity, passion, presence, and relevance. Additionally, last spring, in collaboration with Minot State University, Minot Public Schools, and Drop the Knowledge, three schools in Minot Public School District piloted the CP2R Classroom Observation Tool.

Due to its success, a second pilot study will be conducted in Fall 2024. In collaboration with the CREA and MSU, Drop the Knowledge will launch the tool across schools in North Dakota. The pilot will include access to the classroom observation tool, five sessions of professional development, and optional coaching with trained consultants from Drop the Knowledge.

During the second pilot study, participating administrators and teachers will also have the opportunity to earn graduate credits through MSU, further enhancing their professional development.

About the Organizations:
Minot State University: A public university in Minot, North Dakota, dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement. www.minotstateu.edu

Central Region Education Association: An organization that provides support and professional development to educators in central North Dakota, aiming to improve educational outcomes. www.creand.org

Anderson, Conn & Tenam-Zemach Consulting LLC (Drop the Knowledge): A consultancy firm specializing in educational tools and frameworks designed to enhance teaching and learning through research-based methods. www.droptheknowledge.com

For more information, please contact:

• Dan Conn: daniel.conn@minotstateu.edu | (701) 858-3267
• Nathan Anderson: nathan.c.anderson@minotstateu.edu | (701) 858-3064

Six Minot State University art students are exhibiting in their graduate capstone art exhibition, “Those Who Can.” Featuring Micki Borkhuis, Kiah Hove, Tienna Johnson, Allison Muncaster, Rayson Renfrow, and Michael Stein, the exhibition will open with a reception at the Northwest Arts Center on Friday, Aug. 2, at 6:30 p.m. and will be on display until Aug. 28.

Capstone is the culminating experience for art majors, allowing them to apply what they have learned in their time at Minot State University. The students are each pursuing a Master of Education with a focus in arts education. This exhibition commemorates their years of art experience at the University and professional level and showcases their skills. 

Borkhuis, an art teacher at Magic City Campus, explores ceramics as a part of her artistic practice. She embraces personal challenges as she experiments and grows her knowledge with the medium.

Hove has taught high-school ceramics for the last five years and is continuing to challenge her relationship with ceramics through wheel-thrown work.

Johnson, who teaches middle school art in Bismarck, connects her love of reading with her art practice. She describes her ceramics as being similar to a “mass of books filling a shelf.”

Muncaster currently teaches high school art in rural North Dakota. Her art practice recently has focused on photography, aiming to “capture the essence of those fleeting moments.”

Renfrow explores the relationship between photography and printmaking in addition to teaching art in Glenburn.

Stein, who has taught high school art for the last 28 years while also being a wrestling coach, uses his art to capture the transient nature of existence.

A reception with the artists will be held at the Northwest Arts Center in the Walter Piehl Gallery on Friday, Aug. 2, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Both exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. 

While at the Northwest Arts Center, the exhibition will be available for viewing Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 1-5 p.m. The Center is closed on holidays. The Walter Piehl Gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library at Minot State University, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The exhibition and related events are free and open to the public.

This exhibition is funded in part by a grant from the North Dakota Council on the Arts, which receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Office of Facilities Management, in coordination with the NDDOT, will provide a National Safety Council defensive driving course on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. The class will be held in Hartnett 106. There are faculty and staff who will need to renew their certificate this year along with new employees so please take advantage of the classes before your certificate expires. The certificates expire every four years. If you are unsure if you need the class yet, please contact SUE LOMMEN.

Facilities management has established a database of employees who completed the defensive driving course, which is required to check out a North Dakota state fleet car. Everyone who drives a state fleet car will be required to take the defensive driving course before they can drive a state fleet car. It is also worth noting that many insurance companies offer discounts on personal car insurance for those who have taken the course.

Individuals will be required to attend the entire class to obtain certification. It will also be necessary to check in with a facilities management employee and bring your driver’s license and a pen to the class. Please preregister by contacting LOMMEN by Monday, Aug. 5.

Fun and engaging soccer camp open to all skill levels. We will teach the basic skills and techniques, as well as play mini-soccer tournaments every day. Please contact Head Coach TJ Perez by EMAIL if you have any questions and/or request for the MSU discount. 

• Ages: 4-13 years old
• Times: 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. each day
• 10% discount for all MSU faculty/staff

Have extra MSU gear? Want to help our students save money while expressing their school spirit? TRIO Student Support Services located in the POWER Center is collecting MSU-themed gear for the Clothing Pantry, located next to the Food Pantry in the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library. The Clothing Pantry makes MSU apparel available for free to students in need.

Donations may be taken to the drop box of your building located on the main floor in a red or white and black checked box or be brought to the POWER Center (lower level of the library).

You can feel the excitement as practice plans come together, equipment gets sorted, and the Beavers get ready to hit campus. The Minot State football team checks in this weekend and kicks off fall camp Monday morning as the season opener is officially 30 days away when Valley City State visits First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. Admission is free for “Defend the Herb!” night, the Beavers’ 2024 season-opener and the kick-off of year two for head coach Ian Shields and his staff.

Northwest Arts Center
The gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The arts center is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 1-5 p.m., and by special arrangement. It is closed holidays.

• Graduate Capstone Exhibition 'Those Who Can': Six Minot State University art students, Micki Borkhuis, Kiah Hove, Tienna Johnson, Allison Muncaster, Michael Stein, and Rayson Renfrow, are exhibiting in the graduate capstone art exhibition "Those Who Can." The exhibition will open with a reception at the Northwest Arts Center on Friday, Aug. 2, at 6:30 p.m. and be on display until Aug. 28.

Flat Tail Press
Flat Tail Press is an educational printmaking studio at Minot State University. The gallery is located in the landing space on second and third floors of the Minot State Student Center, west entrance. It is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-12 a.m.

• Stencil Workshop with Piotr Szyhalski: On view May 15 to Sept. 30.

Bloom awarded FY25 Individual Artist Fellowship from North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA)
North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) has awarded two Individual Artist Fellowships, each in the amount of $5,000 to Micah Bloom of Minot and Amanda Heidt of Fargo. Eligible Disciplines for FY25 were Visual Arts and Media Arts (all forms, including traditional). Bloom (educator/sculptor) and Heidt (printmaker/weaver) were recommended by an independent review panel whose selections were approved by NDCA’s Board of Directors.

Minot State University Art Professor Micah Bloom described his project, titled Radiosity: Colorplay, as "a visual exploration that pairs physics with aesthetics to inspire wonderment and facilitate discovery. Part high art, part science lab, the physical properties of light and color merge in an interactive experience born out of play." Bloom's project will result in a collection of 15-20 interactive sculptures that invite the observer to engage with the artworks to discover how changes in light, position, and types of viewing lenses will affect the radiosity/visual output. Bloom explained, "I desire to make beautiful objects that stir us with their unique design and radiating color." For more information on Bloom's project, visit the Council of the Arts WEBPAGE.

Conn appointed superintendent of ND PK-12 Education Strategic Vision Steering Committee
Dan Conn, associate professor and department chair of Education and Inclusive Services, has been appointed by Superintendent Kirsten Baesler to serve on the ND PK-12 Education Strategic Vision Steering Committee. This appointment recognizes his role as President of the North Dakota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

The ND PK-12 Education Strategic Vision Steering Committee has developed the ND PK-12 Education Strategic Vision Framework. This framework includes a vision and six long-term outcome goals for students, aimed at driving improvement through five focused themes. The ND K-12 Education Coordination Council plays a crucial role in the implementation, dissemination, and communication of the statewide strategic vision, as well as in evaluating progress towards the identified aspirational goals and strategies. Each goal correlates with a long-term outcome identified by the PK-12 Education Strategic Vision Steering Committee.

According to N.D.C.C §15.1-02-04, Superintendent Baesler is responsible for facilitating an annual review and update of the statewide PK-12 Education Strategic Vision. This process requires input and participation from a steering committee comprising representatives from all state-level entities receiving state education funding and education stakeholder groups. Each steering committee member entity must provide components of their strategic plan aligned with the statewide vision. The committee then prepares a collaborative report of these strategic plans. The State Superintendent presents this report, along with any updates to the strategic vision, to legislative management during each interim and to a joint meeting of the education standing committees during each regular legislative session. The committee will work diligently to update the Statewide ND PK-12 Education Strategic Vision and prepare a report for legislative management each interim. For more information, contact Dan Conn at 701-858-3267 or by EMAIL.

Conn promoted to CIRCLES Alliance leadership team
Minot State University’s Dan Conn, associate professor and department chair in MSU’s Department of Education and Inclusive Services, has been promoted to the Leadership Team of the CIRCLES Alliance. This six-state initiative —  spanning Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota — is a $10 million, five-year grant project funded by the National Science Foundation. The CIRCLES Alliance aims to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous students in STEM fields.  

For the first two years of the grant, Conn served as a state partner, collaborating with schools in Indigenous communities across North Dakota. In his new role, he will administer the North Dakota team and work closely with the Leadership Team from the six states involved in the grant. This promotion also brings substantial benefits to Minot State, with a $1,121,794 sub-award for the next three years, including $237,272 in indirect charges.

Additionally, MSU is excited to welcome Ray Burns to Minot State this fall. Burns, who has been an integral part of the "backbone team" for the entire CIRCLES Alliance, previously worked at North Dakota State University and brings a wealth of experience in tribal partnerships. He will have an office on the second floor of Memorial Hall, and his appointment will last for the next three years. This collaboration will also provide more opportunities for Minot State students, including additional undergraduate and graduate assistantships, as well as scholarships.

For more information, contact Conn by EMAIL or by phone at 701-858-3267.

Conn awarded grant from Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program
In collaboration with 7 Generation Games and Sitting Bull College, Dan Conn, associate professor and department chair of education and inclusive studies, has been awarded a $24,999 one-year grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Their goal with the grant is to create engaging games and lessons that teach Indigenous and rural history using primary sources. Participating teachers will work alongside Dr. AnnMaria DeMars, Juliana Taken Alive, and Dan Conn to develop these innovative resources in a series of three workshops designed to create game designs and lessons using those games. The games will be created by the talented team at 7 Generation Games. Participants in the program will also receive graduate credit from Sitting Bull College or Minot State University.

The first cohort, which prioritizes teachers from North and South Dakota, will kick off with an online meeting on Aug. 2. For more information or to sign up, please visit: Teaching Math, Indigenous and Rural History Free PD or contact Dan Conn at 701-858-3267 or EMAIL.

Conn, Burns present 'CIRCLES Alliance and Indigenous Ways of Knowing'
Dan Conn, associate professor and department chair of Education & Inclusive Services, and Ray Burns, Tribal Partnerships manager,  present "CIRCLES Alliance and Indigenous Ways of Knowing" at the Pages and Pathways: The Science of Learning Prek-12 STEM Conference at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks on Thursday, Aug. 1. Cultivating Indigenous Research Communities for Leadership in Education and STEM (CIRCLES Alliance) is an alliance between six states to address the underrepresentation of AI/AN students in STEM disciplines and workforce by collectively engaging Tribal communities through conversation, relationship building, and collaboration while focusing on STEM education to inform state institutions in cultural understanding, humility, and programmatic shifts in STEM education. This initiative is funded by a $10 million, 5-year grant from the National Science Foundation. Dan and Ray will focus their presentation on initial survey/interview results from the planning grant, their reflections on the first two years of the grant, and their plans and insights for the next three years of the grant. For further information, contact Dan Conn at 701-858-3267 or by EMAIL.

Frantsvog published on Wallethub
Minot State College of Business Assistant Professor David Frantsvog was a part of Wallethub.com's Ask the Experts section of their website. Frantsvog answered three questions concerning the fairness of how car insurance companies consider rates based on gender, age, occupation, and student status. Read Frantsvog's answers HERE.

Lozensky named June's High Five Award Winner
Lozensky, an academic coach in The POWER Center/TRIO Student Support Services, was selected as the Minot State Staff Senate June High Five Award winner. He has been with the University for seven years as an adjunct instructor in English and two years as an academic coach. He is an avid collector of Masters of the Universe figures. The Minot State grad said this about working at MSU: "It's an honor to work with so many people who shaped my college education, as well as with the new friends I have met along the way."

Minot State women’s basketball adds Sterkel as assistant coach
Coach Clark is pleased to introduce Emma Sterkel, a former star player for NCAA Division II Regis (Colo.) and NAIA powerhouse Briar Cliff (Iowa), who joined the Beaver staff earlier this month. Sterkel most recently spent a season as an assistant coach at Chadron State (Neb.) with the NCAA D-II Eagles after serving as a graduate assistant coach at Briar Cliff, where she earned master's degrees in both management leadership and sports management.

Minot State hockey’s Waselenchuk named assistant coach for Team USA
No stranger to success, Minot State men’s hockey coach Wyatt Waselenchuk has been selected for a unique and distinguished honor. The Beavers head man, who has been part of all three of Minot State’s ACHA National Championships, has been named an assistant coach for the United State Men’s National University Team that will compete in the 2025 Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy. Waselenchuk joined Chad Berman, the head coach at Arizona, as an assistant coach under head coach Gary Astalos of Adrian College (Mich.), who was named head coach for Team USA earlier this month. The 2025 Winter World University Games will be held from Jan. 13 to 23, 2025, with hockey games starting on Jan. 11.

Duran named All-Academic Athlete by USTFCCCA
Minot State track and field's Ramon Duran put himself in a place of special distinction as he was named an All-Academic Athlete by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for his efforts in competition and the classroom this year. The honor is the first for Duran, a junior sprinter and hurdler from Hollister, California. To earn the honor, a student-athlete must meet an NCAA national provisional qualifying mark in either indoor or outdoor track and field and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Duran is a junior transfer who hit an NCAA qualifying mark at the NSIC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May in the men's 400-meter hurdles, finishing 2nd in 52.53 seconds to earn All-NSIC honors and break the all-time Minot State school record in the event. Duran is a Professional Communications major.

Hoogensen selected for special honor by NCAA
Minot State softball player Mallory Hoogensen has been selected for a special honor by the NCAA. The Beavers junior catcher is one of only three student-athletes from the NSIC selected to attend the 2024 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum. The NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum is a unique educational opportunity that takes place annually. It brings student-athletes and administrators across all three NCAA divisions together for leadership development programming. For the 2024-25 academic year, the Leadership Forum will take place November 21-24 in Charlotte, North Carolina. To be eligible, a student-athlete participant must be participating in an NCAA-sponsored sport during the 2024-25 academic year and be in good academic standing according to the institutional requirements. All participants must have demonstrated the ability or a strong desire to lead. All participants selected are expected to participate in all activities.

Minot State men's basketball earns Academic Excellence Award, four players also honored
The Minot State men’s basketball team backed up an outstanding year on the hardwood with excellence in the classroom, earning honors for that performance from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Wednesday. The Beavers, who matched their all-time record for NCAA wins with a 20-9 record and earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Top 25 ranking as Minot State climbed as high as No. 16 in the nation, earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award and while players Ben Bohl, Jake Lieppert, Jaxon Gunville, and Quincy Minor Jr. all were named to the NABC Honors Court. The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognizes men’s basketball programs that completed the 2023-24 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior, and graduate student men’s basketball players who finished the 2023-24 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.

Boag inducted into NSIC Hall of Fame
Former Minot State star basketball player Carly Boag became the first-ever inductee into the NSIC Hall of Fame from Minot State as she was honored at the NSIC Summer Meetings Award Banquet at the DoubleTree by Hilton.

Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league, and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league. In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame will now boast over 200 members and three teams.

Submissions Due: Aug. 30, 2024
University Communications, Administration, second floor
Email: michael.linnell@minotstateu.edu
Voice: 858-3298 - Fax: 858-4481

Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.